Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
contextualization of a knowledge object in an abstract space (e.g. geometric space
1
)
is not.
A first form of location of the knowledge object is that which we call
geographic
in the broader sense of the term
. This includes physical space as a support for
location, both in the sense of a
social space
(a “socially constructed” space) and of a
naturalspace
.
Figures 3.3 and 3.4 show the example of the treatment of this form of location
based on physical space (social or natural). More precisely, we see the following at
work:
− a form of location which we define by the expression
geopolitical
, including
an even more specific form of location which (for want of a better term) we call
administrative
(or
territorial
) location;
− and a form of
geographic
location, said to be
physical
.
It is sequence 2 (see Chapter 3, Figure 3.3) of the form for describing
audiovisual corpora devoted to the topic [Civilization in America] which is given
over to
geographical
location in a natural space. Sequence 3 (see Chapter 3,
Figure 3.3), on the other hand, is dedicated to the forms of description which we call
geopolitical
and
territorial
.
So-called geopolitical and, more particularly, territorial location uses the
socially
constructed and informed
spatial environment as a means of locating its objects,
1
Along with our colleague Dominique Flament, a researcher in the history of mathematics at
the CNRS (
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- French national center for
scientific research), we have just started a project aimed at analyzing the audiovisual content
of a sizeable collection of recordings of research seminars, conferences and interviews with
researchers in (the history of) mathematics, with a view to setting up an audiovisual
archive devoted to the history of mathematics and, more specifically, to geometries (to
use D. Flament's expression). In this context, locating knowledge objects in abstract space
naturally becomes a major issue. For the ASW metalanguage, this project will therefore
constitute an excellent opportunity to enrich its conceptual vocabulary (i.e. its meta-lexicon of
conceptual terms) and its thesaurus, and to expand its empirical field of application. For
further information about the corpus compiled by D. Flament and his collaborators from 2000
onwards, see the ARA portal which, in the “Mathematics” section, offers access to some 130
hours of recorded material: http://www.archivesaudiovisuelles.fr.
Forgive us another small personal note here: it was with D. Flament and his large-scale
conference on geometry in the 20th Century, in 2001, that we commenced our activities of
collecting, analyzing and publishing audiovisual corpora devoted to scientific and cultural
heritage - activities which, very soon (see [STO 11a]), resulted in the setting up of the
“Audiovisual Research Archives” program; (to consult the contributions to this conference on
20th Century geometry, see: http://semioweb.msh-paris.fr/geometrie2000/presentation.htm).
